A/N Yes, Cole is now possessed, just like on the show. But since I really, really dislike what happened to both Cole and Phoebe, for a number of reasons, I also have a plan to get him out of it. 😗
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"I can't believe it worked." Piper stared at the spot the Source had been standing in just a moment ago. "And so quickly too."
"Goals, assigned positions, someone on stand by to back us up. It's a basic plan but it worked because we were able to take him by surprise." Xander pointed out. "And because he was arrogant enough to come alone. We would have had a much tougher battle if he'd brought his own reinforcements."
"But most demons prefer not to work together." Cole reminded them. "Follow a leader and be part of a group, yes. Actually work together, not so much. They just can't trust each other enough to do it, beyond short term goals and even then they expect to be stabbed in the back. It takes a long time for a demon to trust another demon."
"But Xander shooting him and Faith attacking and tearing the Amulet off him?" Phoebe asked.
"Shooting him wounded and distracted him, not to mention, he wasn't expecting it." Xander pointed out. "While guns and appropriate ammo do work on vampires and lower level demons, it only injures higher level ones. And Faith can move damn fast and hit damn hard and was the only one of us capable of breaking the chain on the Amulet and getting it off of him and got it out of the way by tossing it to Cole. With it off, he couldn't use it to do whatever it does."
"And while Faith kept him occupied by continuing to attack him while he tried to recover from being shot we were able to say the Ancestor Spell." Cordelia concluded. "And it worked."
"In probably less than a full minutes all together." Leo shook his head, trying to grasp it himself. "All the fear and worry and just like that, it's done. Anyone hurt?"
"Nope." Cole also shook his head, in the adrenaline rush of the short lived battle he hadn't noticed the slight shock he'd gotten when Faith tossed him the Amulet and he was totally unaware he was now possessed. By the time he was aware, the essence would already be influencing him and his actions.
None of them knew that the battle had played out exactly as the Seer had first seen it when she'd first seen the Source's death. Or that soon, she'd make her next move.
"Well, now we destroy that little doodad." Xander nodded at the Amulet Cole was still holding.
"Toss it in the air, Cole." Piper ordered and a moment later it atomized as she used her power to blow it up. "There, neat and easy clean up. Now, Leo, we still need to talk about our will."
"I'm going to go make sure the Elders know it's over, the Source is dead." He orbed out.
"Sooner or later he's going to have to talk to me about it." She tossed her hands up. "He can't ignore it forever!"
"He's not ignoring it, Piper." Xander told her. "He's struggling with it. He's immortal and you're mortal and he very much wants forever with you and knows he can't have it. It's taken a lot of hoops just for the Elders to let you two be together and while you guys were working your way through those hoops he could avoid thinking about the fact that he'll outlive you. Now he has to face that fact and you're shoving it in his face. He knows he has to face it and deal with it, he's just not ready yet."
"Xander and I have had to have this conversation ourselves." Cordelia pointed out. "He's got two dangerous jobs, being a Federal Agent working supernatural cases and being the Executioner. The chances of us actually growing old together aren't great, but that doesn't mean we can't live our lives now and wring every moment of joy out of life that we can."
"So, enough gloomy talk." Faith said. "Source scrunched, I want to visit Piper's club and wiggle my way around the dance floor. Anyone else want to party?"
"Sure, why not." Phoebe leaned against Cole. "It's not every day we avert an apocalypse. Thank God."
"Holding you close on the dance floor is definitely a favorite activity of mine." Cole agreed.
"Maybe Leo will meet us there and let it take his mind off his worries." Piper suggested as Xander grabbed Cordelia's hand and everyone headed out to celebrate.